Published: Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 06:05 PM.

Cherryville’s former utilities director will spend one year and one day in federal prison for embezzling nearly $100,000 from the city.

Jennifer Neal Hoyle was sentenced Thursday afternoon.

The 36-year-old wept and shook in court as she apologized for her actions.

When Hoyle first attempted to speak before the judge, she was overwhelmed with emotion and had to sit to collect herself.

Given another chance, Hoyle apologized for stealing from the city and for letting her family down.

“I have disgraced myself, friends, family, the city of Cherryville, the elected officials and especially my daughters,” she said.

Hoyle said she had no excuse for taking what didn’t belong to her and failing to be a proper role model for her children.

Taking payments

Hoyle was responsible for taking utility payments from customers at Cherryville’s City Hall. She also supervised employees within that department.

Between January 2008 and May 2011, Hoyle embezzled $92,922 from the city.

Hoyle would accept cash payments from customers and issue paper receipts. She would credit the customers’ accounts with the payment, keep the cash, and then, by using her supervisory override privileges, go into the computer system and delete the transaction.

Hoyle’s fraud was uncovered when a customer questioned duplicate charges on her bill and brought in her paper receipt as proof of payment.

Hoyle was fired in May 2012 and charged in July 2012. She pleaded guilty in January to three counts of embezzlement.

Paying back debts

Hoyle is one of two former Cherryville city employees sentenced in separate embezzlement schemes.

Former finance director Bonny Alexander pleaded guilty to embezzlement last month for taking nearly $500,000 of the city’s money.

Alexander was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to repay the money she stole.

Because Alexander had been with the city for more than 20 years, she gets a state pension. Her pension payments will now go to Cherryville and the insurance company that has paid for part of her debt.

Hoyle did not have a pension, but will be required to pay back the money she took.

Once released from prison, Hoyle will serve two years on probation and start paying the city and the insurance company. Her minimum monthly payment will be $50.

Dellinger was a former narcotics detective with the Cherryville Police Department, and Golden was a captain on reserve with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office. Crawford and Mauney were both Cherryville Police officers at the time.

Hendricks and Mark Hoyle were friends introduced to the scheme by the others.

The men’s sentences ranged from house arrest to three years in prison, with Dellinger receiving the stiffest penalty.

Time to serve

In a separate incident, former Cherryville Police Chief Woody Burgess has pleaded guilty to embezzling $5,173 in checks and three guns from Cherryville.

Burgess was suspended when the other police officers were arrested, and he later resigned. Charges against him followed. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

Jennifer Hoyle came to court Thursday with several supporters. She did not have to go immediately to prison.

Hoyle is married to Mark Hoyle who is already serving time in federal prison.

Mark Hoyle is expected to be released in July.

At Jennifer Hoyle’s request, Federal Court Judge Robert Conrad ordered that she report to prison no earlier than August so she could hand off custody of her children to her husband.

Appropriate sentence

Before Conrad handed down the sentence, Jennifer Hoyle said she hoped she could pay her penalty while staying home with her children.

Conrad said Hoyle’s actions warranted incarceration.

“The defendant’s conduct showed both greed and corruption,” he said.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.

Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published
without permission. Links are encouraged.

Cherryville’s former utilities director will spend one year and one day in federal prison for embezzling nearly $100,000 from the city.

Jennifer Neal Hoyle was sentenced Thursday afternoon.

The 36-year-old wept and shook in court as she apologized for her actions.

When Hoyle first attempted to speak before the judge, she was overwhelmed with emotion and had to sit to collect herself.

Given another chance, Hoyle apologized for stealing from the city and for letting her family down.

“I have disgraced myself, friends, family, the city of Cherryville, the elected officials and especially my daughters,” she said.

Hoyle said she had no excuse for taking what didn’t belong to her and failing to be a proper role model for her children.

Taking payments

Hoyle was responsible for taking utility payments from customers at Cherryville’s City Hall. She also supervised employees within that department.

Between January 2008 and May 2011, Hoyle embezzled $92,922 from the city.

Hoyle would accept cash payments from customers and issue paper receipts. She would credit the customers’ accounts with the payment, keep the cash, and then, by using her supervisory override privileges, go into the computer system and delete the transaction.

Hoyle’s fraud was uncovered when a customer questioned duplicate charges on her bill and brought in her paper receipt as proof of payment.

Hoyle was fired in May 2012 and charged in July 2012. She pleaded guilty in January to three counts of embezzlement.

Paying back debts

Hoyle is one of two former Cherryville city employees sentenced in separate embezzlement schemes.

Former finance director Bonny Alexander pleaded guilty to embezzlement last month for taking nearly $500,000 of the city’s money.

Alexander was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to repay the money she stole.

Because Alexander had been with the city for more than 20 years, she gets a state pension. Her pension payments will now go to Cherryville and the insurance company that has paid for part of her debt.

Hoyle did not have a pension, but will be required to pay back the money she took.

Once released from prison, Hoyle will serve two years on probation and start paying the city and the insurance company. Her minimum monthly payment will be $50.

Dellinger was a former narcotics detective with the Cherryville Police Department, and Golden was a captain on reserve with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office. Crawford and Mauney were both Cherryville Police officers at the time.

Hendricks and Mark Hoyle were friends introduced to the scheme by the others.

The men’s sentences ranged from house arrest to three years in prison, with Dellinger receiving the stiffest penalty.

Time to serve

In a separate incident, former Cherryville Police Chief Woody Burgess has pleaded guilty to embezzling $5,173 in checks and three guns from Cherryville.

Burgess was suspended when the other police officers were arrested, and he later resigned. Charges against him followed. His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

Jennifer Hoyle came to court Thursday with several supporters. She did not have to go immediately to prison.

Hoyle is married to Mark Hoyle who is already serving time in federal prison.

Mark Hoyle is expected to be released in July.

At Jennifer Hoyle’s request, Federal Court Judge Robert Conrad ordered that she report to prison no earlier than August so she could hand off custody of her children to her husband.

Appropriate sentence

Before Conrad handed down the sentence, Jennifer Hoyle said she hoped she could pay her penalty while staying home with her children.

Conrad said Hoyle’s actions warranted incarceration.

“The defendant’s conduct showed both greed and corruption,” he said.

You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.